One of the brightest of the many bright young men who came to
Minnesota at an early day was Mr. James Mills. For a time he worked on
the case at the old Pioneer office, but was soon transferred to the
editorial department, where he remained for a number of years. After
the war he returned to Pittsburgh, his former home, and is now and for
a number of years has been editor-in-chief of the Pittsburgh Post.
Among the numerous printers of St. Paul who were musically inclined
no one was better known than the late O.G. Miller. He belonged to the
Great Western band, and was tenor singer in several churches in the
city for a number of years. Mr. Miller was a 33d Degree Mason, and
when he died a midnight funeral service was held for him in Masonic
hall, the first instance on record of a similar service in the city.
George W. Moore came to St. Paul in 1850, and for a short time was
foreman for Mr. Goodhue. In 1852 he formed a partnership with John P.
Owens in the publication of the Minnesotian. He sold his interest
in that paper to Dr. Foster in 1860, and in 1861 was appointed by
President Lincoln collector of the port of St. Paul, a position he
held for more than twenty years.
Louis E. Fisher was one of God's noblemen. When he first came to St.
Paul he was foreman of the Commercial Advertiser. For a long time he
was one of the editors of the Pioneer, and also the Pioneer Press. He
was a staunch democrat and a firm believer in Jeffersonian simplicity.
At one time he was a candidate for governor on the democratic ticket.
Had it not been for a little political chicanery he would have been
nominated, and had he been elected would have made a model governor.
George W. Armstrong was the Beau Brummel of the early printers. He
wore kid gloves when he made up the forms of the old Pioneer, and he
always appeared as if he devoted more attention to his toilet than
most of his co-laborers. He was elected state treasurer on the
democratic ticket in 1857, and at the expiration of his term of office
devoted his attention to the real estate business.
Another old printer that was somewhat fastidious was James M.
Culver. He was the first delegate from St. Paul to the International
Typographical Union. Old members of the Sons of Malta will recollect
how strenuously he resisted the canine portion of the ceremony when
taking the third degree of that noble order.
Who has not heard of David Ramaley? He is one of the best as well as
one of the best known printers in the Northwest. He has been printer,
reporter, editor, publisher and type founder. Although he has been
constantly in the harness for nearly fifty years, he is still active
and energetic and looks as if it might be an easy matter to round out
the century mark.
H.O. Bassford, now of the Austin Register, was one of the fleetest and
cleanest compositers among the territorial printers. He was employed
on the Minnesotian.
Francis P. McNamee occupied most all positions connected with the
printing business--printer, reporter, editor. He was a most estimable
man, but of very delicate constitution, and he has long since gone to
his reward.
The genial, jovial face of George W. Benedict was for many years
familiar to most old-time residents. At one time he was foreman of the
old St. Paul Press. He is now editor and publisher of the Sauk Rapids
Sentinel.
The old St. Paul Times had no more reliable man than the late Richard
Bradley. He was foreman of the job department of that paper, and held
the same position on the Press and Pioneer Press for many years.
D.L. Paine was the author of the famous poem entitled "Who Stole Ben
Johnson's Spaces." He was employed in several of the St. Paul offices
previous to the rebellion.
The late John O. Terry was the first hand pressman in St. Paul.
He formed a partnership with Col. Owens in the publication of the
Minnesotian. For a long time he was assistant postmaster of St. Paul,
and held several other positions of trust.
J.B.H. Mitchell was a, member of the firm of Newson, Mitchell & Clum,
publishers of the Daily Times. For several years after the war he was
engaged as compositor in the St. Paul offices, and is now farming in
Northern Minnesota.
Among the freaks connected with the printing business was a poet
printer by the name of Wentworth. He was called "Long Haired
Wentworth."
Early in the war he enlisted in the First Minnesota regiment. When
Col. Gorman caught sight of him he ordered his hair cut. Wentworth
would not permit his flowing locks to be taken off, and he was
summarly dismissed from the service. After being ordered out of the
regiment he wrote several letters of doubtful loyalty and Secretary
Stanton had him arrested and imprisoned in Fort Lafayette with other
political prisoners. He never returned to Minnesota.
Marshall Robinson was a partner of the late John H. Stevens in the
publication of the first paper at Glencoe. At one time he was a
compositor on the Pioneer, and the last heard from him he was state
printer for Nevada.
Andrew Jackson Morgan was brought to St. Paul by the late Col.
D.A. Robertson and made foreman of the Democrat. He was a
printer-politician and possessed considerable ability. At one time he
was one of the editors of the Democrat. He was said to bear a striking
resemblance to the late Stephen A. Douglas, and seldom conversed with
any one without informing them of the fact. He was one of the original
Jacksonian Democrats, and always carried with him a silver dollar,
which he claimed was given him by Andrew Jackson when he was
christened. No matter how much Democratic principle Jack would consume
on one of his electioneering tours he always clung to the silver
dollar. He died in Ohio more than forty years ago, and it is said that
the immediate occasion of his demise was an overdose of hilarity.
Another old timer entitled to a good position in the hilarity column
was J.Q.A. Ward, commonly known as Jack Ward. He was business manager
of the Minnesotian during the prosperous days of that paper. The first
immigration pamphlet ever gotten out in the territory was the product
of Jack's ingenuity. Jack created quite a sensation at one time by
marrying the daughter of his employer on half an hour's ball room
acquaintance. He was a very bright man and should have been one of the
foremost business men of the city, but, like many other men, he was
his own worst enemy.
Another Jack that should not be overlooked was Jack Barbour. His
theory was that in case the fiery king interfered with your business
it was always better to give up the business.
A.M. Carver was one of the best job printers in the country, and he
was also one of the best amateur actors among the fraternity. It was
no uncommon thing for the old time printers to be actors and actors to
be printers. Lawrence Barrett, Stuart Robson and many other eminent
actors were knights of the stick and rule. Frequently during the happy
distribution hour printers could be heard quoting from the dramatist
and the poet, and occasionally the affairs of church and state would
receive serious consideration, and often the subject would be handled
in a manner that would do credit to the theologian or the diplomat,
but modern ingenuity has made it probable that no more statesmen will
receive their diplomas from the composing room. Since the introduction
of the iron printer all these pleasantries have passed away, and the
sociability that once existed in the composing room will be known
hereafter only to tradition.
The late William Jebb was one of the readiest debaters in the old
Pioneer composing room. He was well posted on all topics and was
always ready to take either side of a question for the sake of
argument. Possessing a command of language and fluency of speech that
would have been creditable to some of the foremost orators, he would
talk by the hour, and his occasional outbursts of eloquence often
surprised and always entertained the weary distributors. At one time
Jebb was reporter on the St. Paul Times. Raising blooded chickens
was one of his hobbies. One night some one entered his premises and
appropriated, a number of his pet fowls. The next day the Times had a
long account of his misfortune, and at the conclusion of his article
he hurled the pope's bull of excommunication at the miscreant. It was
a fatal bull and was Mr. Jebb's reportorial finish.
A fresh graduate from the case at one time wrote a scurrilous
biography of Washington. The editor of the paper on which he was
employed was compelled to make editorial apology for its unfortunate
appearance. To make the matter more offensive the author on several
different occasions reproduced the article and credited its authorship
to the editor who was compelled to apologize for it.
In two different articles on nationalities by two different young
printer reporters, one referred to the Germans as "the beer-guzzling
Dutch," and the other, speaking of the English said "thank the Lord we
have but few of them in our midst," caused the writers to be promptly
relegated back to the case.
Bishop Willoughby was a well-known character of the early times. A
short conversation with him would readily make patent the fact that he
wasn't really a bishop. In an account of confirming a number of people
at Christ church a very conscientious printer-reporter said "Bishop
Willoughby administered the rite of confirmation," when he should have
said Bishop Whipple. He was so mortified at his unfortunate blunder
that he at once tendered his resignation. Of course it was not
accepted.
Editors and printers of territorial times were more closely affiliated
than they are to-day. Meager hotel accommodations and necessity for
economical habits compelled many of them to work and sleep in the same
room. All the offices contained blankets and cots, and as morning
newspapers were only morning newspapers in name, the tired and weary
printer could sleep the sleep of the just without fear of disturbance.
Nearly all the early editors were also printers. Earle S. Goodrich,
editor-in-chief of the Pioneer: Thomas Foster, editor of the
Minnesotian; T.M. Newson, editor of the Times, and John P. Owens,
first editor of the Minnesotian, were all printers. When the old Press
removed from Bridge Square in 1869 to the new building on the corner
of Third and Minnesota streets, Earle S. Goodrich came up into the
composing room and requested the privilege of setting the first type
in the new building. He was provided with a stick and rule and set
up about half a column of editorial without copy. The editor of the
Press, in commenting on his article, said it was set up as "clean as
the blotless pages of Shakespeare." In looking over the article the
next morning some of the typos discovered an error in the first line.